Being on a practice squad, however, never gets easier. The resident authority on this is Wiggins, a 6-6, 314-pound offensive tackle in his third season out of Fresno State. Each of those three years has been spent on a different practice squad -- those of the Baltimore Ravens in 2011, the San Francisco 49ers last year and now San Diego.

“I’m the practice-squad veteran,” said Wiggins, who is yet to appear in an official NFL game. “It’s very, very, very hard. You prepare and wait, prepare and wait, prepare and wait. I know what coaches are looking for as a scout player and developmental guy, but the whole goal is to play.

“That’s why Wednesdays are so big for us. Wednesday’s when you put on the pads. Wednesday’s our game day.”

Wiggins is on his last go-round as far as time on the practice squad. Since the concept ostensibly was designed for development, players are not allowed to be placed on practice squad for more than three years. Plus, any player with more than one year of accrued NFL service – six games on an active roster – is not eligible for the practice squad.

Practice-squadders can be signed right up to the last few hours before game time, but seldom are. For home games, they take part in the meetings at the team hotel the night before and can be seen on the sideline during the game, most often identified by the Chargers sweatsuits they’re wearing. They are allowed in the home locker room, which makes them feel more a part of the team, but also more frustrated.

“I actually tasted it in there,” said Manning. “I get that feeling – I’m getting chills just thinking about it now – that feeling you get in the locker room before a game. The outer-body experience of getting ready, seeing the look in eyes of guys getting ready to battle.

“That same feeling is burning inside of me, but I know I’m not going to get to play. So I divert that energy to support for the guys who are playing.”

Thrice this season, the Chargers have wrapped up their practice week on Friday, then immediately been bused to the airport for a road game back east. Left behind are their practice-squad teammates, uniformed personnel on weekdays, civilians on Saturday and Sunday.

Owing to the fact that he attends church services – his pastor is former Chargers running back Terrell Fletcher -- Cromartie might not even get to see more than the last quarter of games that start at 10 a.m. in San Diego. Others take the opportunity to fly home for the weekend.

Like Otten, a few practice-squadders might venture out to watch games like any other fan, less likely to be recognized than their active teammates. Their anonymity is somewhat offset by a size and muscularity that naturally makes people curious about their identities.

Plus, watching the Chargers on TV can be hard on the ears. And the tolerance level.